Ward exploring broadcasting options, but coaching still possibility in future

Monday

Apr 30, 2012 at 9:40 PM

Marc Weiszer @marcweiszer

Hines Ward could be offering up football commentary on TV before he coaches any football.

The former Super Bowl MVP wide receiver was back in Athens on Monday to play in the Stadion Classic Celebrity Pro-Am with Bulldogs offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, just days after Ward huddled with TV network honchos about a possible future in broadcasting.

Ward spent a few days this spring around the Georgia program to get a behind-the-scenes feel on what it would be like to coach at his alma mater. That created excitement among fans wanting to have the former Pittsburgh Steeler back full-time.

"I loved everything about it, it's just the time commitment," Ward said. "I just left football. That's something that I'm still deciding. ... If I ever get into coaching, it would definitely be here first."

Ward was in New York last week for the NFL draft. He said he met with NBC, ESPN and CBS about opportunities.

"We'll see," Ward said. "It's great to have options. Fourteen years, all with the Steelers, and now I'm retired. I've got a lot of options on my plate."

ESPN confirmed Monday that the network has had conversations with Ward "as we do with many other retired NFL players," spokesman Bill Hofheimer said via email. He said that Ward is being considered for a role this season,

Networks talk often to former players, but it remains to be seen whether he will land a spot this year.

Ward announced his retirement six weeks ago today, but the 36-year-old has kept busy.

He worked a camp last week in Lovejoy with former Bulldogs and NFL running back Robert Edwards, recently hired as head coach at Greene County High School.

Edwards, also at the Celebrity Pro-Am, thinks Ward could take a year off and "enjoy being free, not having to go into work," but doesn't think that will last long.

"I think it's going to catch up to him," Edwards said. "You can't stay away from the game too long. I'm evident of that. Once I stopped, I wanted to be around it in one form or fashion."

Edwards said Ward volunteered to help with receivers at Greene County, but Ward made clear Monday that if he does get into coaching he wants it to be at Georgia.

"I always said if I wanted to get back into coaching, the University of Georgia would probably be my first place just because I want to give back to my university and I think I have a lot to offer to the state of Georgia and the kids because I've been in their shoes before," said Ward, who lives in the Atlanta suburb of Sandy Springs "Georgia's my home. It's where I reside at. For me, it's only 50 minutes commute where I live at. The possibility is there."

Of course, there are no openings now on Mark Richt's coaching staff.

"I'm not trying to step on anybody," Ward said. "To be honest, that would be the worst thing. I don't want to take anyone's food off their plate. ... I just wanted to see if there was interest and see if I was interested in getting into coaching."

Ward played Monday at the UGA Golf Course with his friend Bobo, who invited Ward to come sit in on meetings and attend practice. Ward said those meetings gave Richt a chance to get know him better on a personal level.

One aspect of coaching that Ward couldn't do is recruit - due to NCAA rules - but he has talked enough with Bobo to form some strong opinions.

"We have great talent here," Ward said. "It irks me that our great talent goes to the University of Florida and Alabama and stuff like that. We need to keep our top recruits here in the state of Georgia. Georgia's always been close. We're on the cusp of doing big things. It's just one game or one play here and there. Who knows? The player that we lost out of the state of Georgia, that one player could probably make a difference and maybe we can win a national title."

Ward said his celebrity - he won "Dancing With The Stars" - made it hard for recruits not to gravitate to him when he was at spring practice.

"All the recruits, I'm like a magnet to them," Ward said. "They were all coming to me. Their families voted for me on 'Dancing With The Stars.' I couldn't even say anything because I didn't want to get any NCAA rules (violations). What more could a kid ask for? I was a product of this. I came from the state of Georgia and I've been where these kids want to go. I graduated here, I graduated early, I got my degree. I got a chance to play in the NFL. I played 14 years, so I have a lot to give back."

Perhaps some day at Georgia.

"I don't want to be one foot in and one foot out," he said. "If I get into coaching, I want to be all in."

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